Tuesday, April 05, 2005

Criminal Chemistry

The Jerusalem Police yesterday uncovered a sophisticated system of smuggling drugs that served to bring cocaine into the country in recent months, investigators suspect. Using a chemical process and other materials, the members of the smuggling ring managed to turn the cocaine into elastic sheets that were then slotted into the sides of suitcases used by the drug couriers.

According to Chief Superintendent Hanoch Cohen of the Jerusalem Police, the members of the ring in Israel were to have detached the elastic sheets from the sides of the suitcases and put them through a second chemical process to turn them back into cocaine.The chemical process employed by the ring made it impossible for police to locate the drugs by means of existing technological tools, and the bust was facilitated by a sting operation involving two undercover police agents.

If we can use the magic of science to turn cocaine into all manner of useful substances, why don't we invent a mist that ruins cocaine and just pump it into airplanes, bus terminals, subways, tunnels, and any other place that criminals tool around with drugs?